I realize that my post the other day was too short to really address this. The basic principle relates to the idea of balancing two different elements, in this case energy and control. A lot of the technical problems guitarists have stem from inadequate control of what the fingers are doing. If you don't have good control, then you can't build a solid technical foundation. One of the things that always impressed me about John Williams was that once he learned a piece, he was pretty much rock-solid every time he played it. This shows how great his control was.
So how do you get this kind of controlled technique? Well, you do have to start young, past a certain age it is doubtful that you can achieve a really great technique. But the daily issue is that you have to balance your energy and your ability to control this energy. The problem students typically have is that they have enthusiasm and energy, but lack control so when they practice they are, essentially, practicing sloppiness.
The solution is to reduce the energy to an amount that you can control. Then, as your control develops, you can increase the amount of energy, being careful not to put in more than you can easily control. This is pretty much the secret of good practicing. Well-controlled movements repeated until they become automatic. Every time you allow an uncontrolled movement, it sets you back and you will have to practice to remove that muscle memory.
A violinist once told me that he couldn't teach a concerto he was about to perform because he might recall the mistake a student made!
So this was why I talked about "soft" practicing: the idea is to soften the movements and energy in your hands down to levels that you can easily control. Most guitarists probably know this instinctively, but it doesn't hurt to be consciously aware of the principle.
I've never thought consciously about 'soft practicing', though I think I have been unconsciously doing it in the last couple of years as part of a battle against tension and mistakes (still not sure which side is winning...) Especially so since cutting off the nails, which forced a gentler approach at first and, eventually, a total reconsideration of how to use my strength when playing. The guitar does seem more conducive to tension problems than any other instrument I've played (even similar ones like banjo or uke) -- though that may just be because I've pursued the guitar more intensely.
ReplyDeleteDo you play through a whole piece in a 'soft' way? Like the way one might play through a whole piece very slowly. Or is this a method you use for practising specific troublesome passages and technical problems?
From watching your videos, I would say you do not have much of a tension problem. Yes, guitarists seem particularly susceptible to tension problems--largely because they try to play pieces too difficult for them and practice too fast.
ReplyDeleteSoft practicing is very useful for specific tricky passages and for the whole piece in the early stages. You want to be able to work out the choreography without disrupting tension. Later on, you add power and strength where needed as long as you have it under control.
Yes, but I tend to only record the easier pieces! Thanks for the clarification.
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